If Trees Could Talk
by mjrahabim
Summary: The Forest of Death has seen its share of events. If the trees could talk, they might very well tell a story similar to this one.
1. Prologue

The Forest of Death echoed with a woman's cries of pain. Since this was a rather common place occurrence, no one from the village of Konoha bothered to investigate. The shinobi who were crouched in the small clearing were, in fact, counting on this.

The cries of pain became whimpers that were almost heartbreaking to hear. "Anko..." A deep voice whispered. "You must stop. What if he hears you?"

The woman being spoken to was covered in sweat. Leaves clung to slender bare legs that were shaking violently. "I can't...Please..." She was gasping. This wasn't like Mitarashi Anko at all. The young woman was usually bubbling and talkative. This was not the case on this night. "Make it stop." She was all but weeping, swallowing hard to keep herself from tumbling over the edge.

"We can't..." The deep voice spoke again. The tall figure leaned over her and she saw his face...or perhaps just a dark eye. It was enough.

"Kakashi..." Anko's fingers dug into the dirt, her nails bending backward and ripping to the quick.

The man she'd called by name leaned over her, his long thin fingers brushing through her hair. "Take your time." He told her gently. "You're doing fine just..."

"Anko," This voice was louder and more confident, almost to the point of being overly so. "You're going to have to be quiet. If he hears it will all be over. He'll destroy us all."

"I don't care about you." Anko snapped, the sudden pain tearing through her body like a wildfire. "Get away from me, Gai. I hope he feeds you to the..."

"Enough." Another man spoke, his voice filled with authority and an almost anger. "None of you are helping matters." Morino Ibiki was speaking between his teeth, narrowing his eyes at Anko.

The young woman grit her teeth so hard her jaw was aching, another pain feeling as if it were going to tear apart her insides.  
"They're coming faster now." Hatake Kakashi whispered. "It's almost time."

Anko let out another cry of pain, this one louder than the others. The men around her all growled their frustration. "If you..." She wanted to threaten them all as she would have done in the past but now was not the time. Not with the pain growing increasingly worse. There was no respite now. Nothing to ease the discomfort that was bordering on a fatal wound. "Kill me!" She grabbed the front of Kakashi's jacket, almost pulling him on top of her. "Kill me now. Do you hear me?"

It wasn't just the pain in her mid-section but the cursed seal on her shoulder. It was draining her almost as quickly as the physical pain. It was too much.

"I'm not going to do that, Anko. I wouldn't even if I wanted to." Kakashi whispered, again brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Did you hear that?" Gai was on his feet and looking around them, his eyes narrowed at something the rest of them couldn't see.

"Hand me that blanket." Ibiki whispered to Kakashi. The other man did as he was told, never taking his eyes off Anko. He never imagined they'd be at this point. All the years they'd been training and learning together hadn't prepared him for this. It was terrifying to say the least.

The young woman opened her mouth to scream again, only to have a hand placed over it. Gai was shaking his head, pointing to the trees. "There's someone out there. I can't feel it." He hissed.

So much blood...Kakashi wished he had something to read to take his mind off this. Not to mention he might share it with Anko. Something to make her smile, anything to make her do something aside from scream in pain.

He reached for a towel and wiped off her forehead. Early October and she was sweating so badly. He was afraid she'd catch a chill. Not that it would be the worst of her worries just then.

Kakashi lifted his head, searching the trees for signs of another's chakra. There was nothing. No one but four shinobi in the clearing and a few nosy animals who'd come to see what the commotion was.

Gai was the one who roared in pain this time, Anko's teeth burying themselves in the fleshy part of his hand. "I can't breathe!" She wailed, her knuckles white as she again dug them into the ground.

"This is it." Ibiki said his tone rising to be heard over Anko's new cries of pain. "The baby is coming."


	2. The Ramen House Incident

12 years later...

It was hard to decide what was worse, the explosion that rocked the west side of the leaf village or the giant cloud of flour that came pouring out of the ramen house covering everything in sight. Anko Mitarashi didn't even have to ask if anyone had seen anything or who was the culprit. She knew without a shadow of a doubt who was responsible.

To confirm her suspicion three pre-teens came spilling out of the eatery, coughing and sputtering.

"God, Naruto. What the heck is wrong with you?" Sasuke Uchiha growled deep in his throat. The young man had never worn a smile that Anko was aware of. And for good reason. It was probably why the girls thought so highly of him though. That and the devilishly handsome blue eyes and dark hair that fell into those eyes.

The blond haired boy in question laughed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. A common trait that spoke volumes. This young man had a head on his shoulders but he wasn't known for using it too often. Though for Anko to say anything would be like a pot calling the kettle black.

The third teenager, a female with short pink hair and vivid jade eyes named Sakura Haruno, was still coughing waving a hand in front of her face to try and clear the air. "Naruto! I can't believe you did that!" She hissed. "You're going to get us in trouble!"

Naruto snorted. "What? It was just a couple of noodles! They weren't making them fast enough and I was starving!" He wailed.

"And that's the reason you decided to use your shadow clone jutsu...to help them?" Sasuke snarled.

The blond boy was again laughing sheepishly, his grin rather wide. Anko watched him for several moments noting that even when he was under fire from his teammates Naruto had a bright smile. Never the less, she too was now covered in flour and that simply wasn't going to cut it.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" She barked, stomping out of her hiding place in the alley way. "You'd better have a good explanation for all of this."

At the sight of her the young man's blue eyes went wide, his cheeks that bore the marks of the fox demon inside him turned a bright shade of red. "I ah..." He was sputtering now, rubbing his shock of wild blond hair and still grinning.

"Just where is your sensei?" Anko demanded, placing her hands on her hips. Her brown eyes swept over the three children one at a time, making sure they knew she was unhappy with them.

"We don't know..." Sakura was the one to speak up first, her voice barely above a whisper. "We were supposed to meet him this morning but...he never showed up."

"And Naruto here thought he was starving to death so we brought him here." Sasuke interjected, his voice a low growl as usual. He was looking pointedly at the other boy all but screaming 'I told you so'.

"Huh..." Anko tapped her chin in thought. It was like Kakashi to be late. He was often extremely slow, and infuriating enough he always did it purposefully. But not to show up at all? "I should send you three into the Forest of Death to look for him." She muttered. "However, since I am in a rather good mood today you will all join me for dango."

"But..." Sakura looked rather uncertain of this, already shifting her gaze to the flour covered ramen house. "Don't you want us to clean this up?"  
"If I did I would have already told you to." Anko said thinly, though she was smiling widely.

Beside her Naruto was jumping with joy. "Oh I know this great place that has ramen and dango. It's awesome! We have to go there!"

Anko was again watching the young man. Though he'd had a hard beginning it was easy to see he hadn't let it destroy him. That was almost familiar.

"All right then Uzumaki, lead the way." She told him with a nod. Naruto was practically gone before she'd finished speaking. The other two followed close behind which left her with time to think.

Kakashi was certainly going to hear about this is she discovered he was off reading that book again.

She had a brief fantasy of grabbing it from his fingers and tearing it to pieces. But that wouldn't be very nice now would it?

The group reached the new eatery and Anko shook her head. At least this one wasn't covered in flour. She'd have to remember to ask Naruto exactly what he'd done so she could recreate it in the presence of that chili bowl haired Gai Maito. That man was so full of himself it was terrifying to behold. She could just see his own student Rock Lee ending up the same way. He was already halfway there with the hairstyle and the speech pattern. Someone should get around to slapping some sense into that child.

It was a shame indeed that Kakashi had never bested Gai. Knocking him down a peg or two was another fantasy she entertained on a daily basis.

Her attention returned to the group of pre-teens, now paused outside the door. "What's the..." She didn't get the rest out as her eyes rested on Kakashi sitting inside, his back to them.

"Hello there..." He turned, his dark eye sparkling as it rested on Anko. She always hated this part. The moment their eyes met her heart would do a little skip and then stop beating for a few seconds, memories flooding back to her. It was the reason she tried to avoid this man.

His shock of gray hair was in it's usual state of disarray, held back by his head band. He also still wore that infuriating mask and to this day she couldn't figure out why. Though she knew a part of it was to hide his sharingan eye that belonged to a former friend.

He got to his feet and crossed the small space, ignoring his students to stop in front of her. "It's been a while." He said softly.  
Anko shook her head. "Only a week or so." She whispered back.

"Hum..." Kakashi nodded thoughtfully then reached out, his long thin fingers brushing the tip of her nose. "Been bathing in flour lately?" He teased, the eye that showed sparkling with mischief. "I hear it's good for the skin."

"It's also good to fry dirty books with." Anko purred, leaning close so that she wouldn't be over heard.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You're just jealous." He chuckled. Then without warning he turned away and returned to his seat. "Children, you're going to be spending a week with Gai-sensei. It seems that Anko and I have a mission..."


	3. Lies and Future Blackmail

"Lord Hokage!" Anko stormed into the conference room where the old man sat, not caring if she was interrupting anything. "I refuse the mission."

The old man looked at her, his steady gaze all but telling her he'd expected this. "Anko..." His voice was calm and gentle, something that did nothing but infuriate her further. "It is not a choice. You are the only one that can go with Kakashi at this..."

"I can't!" Anko said rather loudly. The other inhabitants of the conference room simply looked at her, none of them seeming surprised at her outburst.

Again the old man looked at her steadily, his dark eyes almost sparkling. "And what would be the reason you cannot assist, Anko? You are aware that a shinobi never refuses a mission from the Hokage?"

Anko hated herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to go on a mission. She loved them, there was no doubt about that. But not with him. She hadn't been that close to him in twelve years and after everything that had transpired she simply couldn't face Kakashi.

"I..." She rubbed at her neck the place where former sensei had left her with his mark. To lie to the Hokage, master and protector of the village, was a very dangerous venture. The old man was looking at her from beneath the shadow of his over-sized hat. He could see something that she wasn't telling. "It's been bothering me lately." She confessed, not entirely lying. The cursed mark on her neck was throbbing even now but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

"Do you believe that means he's close? That he plans to make another attempt at the students?" The third Hokage asked her.

"Not all the students." Anko said thoughtfully. "Just...Sasuke. I believe that Kakashi should remain with his charges as well. He is their best line of protection."

"All of his charges?" The old man raised a white eyebrow as he watched her closely. "Or just one?"

Anko pretended not to hear him as she fiddled with the front of her jacket. "So you can see why it wouldn't be wise to send me out there. I would...my chakra is weak. I'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

The old man snorted. "You're going to have to face him one day, Anko. You can't keep hiding from him forever. You can't hide from any of those men who helped you that night. They all care about you, just as much as they do the son you gave birth to."  
Anko didn't let him finish. She turned and left, moving swiftly and trying to block out the memories of that night all in one motion.

Naruto knew he should be ashamed of himself for listening as Anko pleaded her case to the Hokage. But he couldn't help but wonder about the things he'd heard. He made it a point to remember to tell Sakura about Kakashi and Anko and the mysterious other men. He was sure she could make more sense of it than he had. She was, after all, the level headed one of the three of them.

Not to mention he'd heard them say something about Sasuke and his cursed mark. That was worrisome in itself. Or would have been if he wasn't so concerned with the implications of his sensei and this other teacher.

He smiled widely as he got up from his place in the bushes just outside the window. He was certainly only to use this bit of gossip to milk a bowl of ramen from Sakura. Then if she and Sasuke thought it was enough for decent black mail he'd use it against Kakashi. Oh yes, this was turning out to be a very good day.


	4. More Black Mail Material

"Why are you avoiding me?" Kakashi's voice was soft, almost inaudible in the dark eatery. Anko didn't look up from her plate full of dango or the warm sake she'd been nursing for hours. It wasn't so warm anymore. Neither was the dango.

Without being asked, the silver haired shinobi sat down across from her. "Anko...one of these days you're going to have to come to terms with..."

"Not today." Anko lifted her dark eyes to him, frowning deeply. "What took you so long? I figured you'd have come looking for me sooner. Lord Hokage didn't tell you right away, did he?"

Kakashi smiled, at least she thought he was smiling. It was hard to tell anything behind the dark mask he wore. "You've spent too much time with the old man." He told her.

Anko started to get up. This was one of the reasons she avoided him. He could make twelve years seem like a moment. He could make all the darkness she carried with her disappear and suddenly she'd be a young woman again, with nothing but a brilliant future ahead of her.

Kakashi's gloved hand came down over her own and he shook his head. "Since you figured a way out of a mission with me I thought I might ask for your help."

"You won't get it." Anko said coolly. "I wouldn't..."

"Well, well!" Gai came over to the table, his voice booming.

The two seated people looked up and Anko snorted, almost swearing she could see the chili bowl haired man's teeth gleaming in the sparsely lit dumpling shop. "Are we on a date? Like Kakashi he didn't bother asking before he sat down, popping one of Anko's dumplings in his mouth.

Anko had the sudden urge to hit her head on the table until she passed out and fell out of the chair. It was easier said than done however.

"I was just telling Anko here about our recent plot to train our students." Kakashi said cheerfully.

"If you say it has anything to do with the power of youth I'll smack you." Anko warned when Gai opened his mouth. As if to make good on her threat she grabbed for an empty dango stick and jabbed it in the black haired man's direction.

Gai chuckled and shook his head. "It's rather interesting. It has you playing the part of the villain."

"Imagine that." Anko snorted. She was already shaking her head. "I won't do it. I can just see how that would end up. Rock Lee with a broken nose or that Sakura girl crying to the medic ninjas. I wouldn't want to make you two look bad." That said she got up and again made a move to exit.

Kakashi's fingers were cold as they wrapped around her wrist. "What if I begged?" The tone to his voice surprised her. He was genuinely serious.

"You don't beg." Anko whispered as the silver haired man rose in front of her, towering over her.

"We both know that's not true..." Kakashi breathed, inclining his head so that his uncovered eye met hers.

Gai cleared his throat, allowing the black haired woman to come to her senses before she did something she'd most likely regret later. "Stop that." Anko hissed, suddenly pushing away from him. "I'll think about it."

She turned to leave, unaware he was following her until he caught her arm. "How many times must I tell you I'm sorry?" Kakashi asked thinly. "How much longer are you going to dwell in the past?"

"How much longer are you going to keep your head buried in that book and avoid the real world?" Anko shot back, knowing it was a rather feeble argument.

Before she could react, Kakashi had pulled her against him. With his free hand he pulled down his mask. In an instant their lips met, Anko was powerless to resist for several moments. But finally her brain kicked back into gear and she pushed away from him. Her body was betraying her and it simply wasn't fair. She had to stay away from this man. Things were not the same. Time had passed and there was so much keeping them apart that needed to remain where it was. Not for her sake, but for his. "Don't do that again." She warned, using a jutsu hand sign and suddenly disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

Kakashi sighed heavily and adjusted his mask. Things were never easy when it came to Anko.

"Did you see?!" Naruto hissed in Sakura's ear. The two children were crouched behind a trash bin in the nearby alley, so close they could practically touch the leg of their sensei's pants. "Tell me you saw his face that time!"

Sakura shook her head and gave her own heaving sigh, the breath rustling her bangs ever so slightly. "Anko put her hand on his face right when we would have seen it." She grumbled. "I swear. This is getting a bit ridiculous."

"Yeah but..." Naruto was rubbing his hands together, barely able to contain his excitement. "We just doubled the ante. Kakashi-sensei is going to have to show us his face or risk exposing his...I don't want to think about..." He stuck out his tongue, making a disgusted face. "That was something I could have gone without seeing."

"I think it's sweet." Sakura said lightly. "Everyone needs love."

"If you say especially Sasuke...I'll..." Naruto shook a fist never intending on going through with his threat.

"Tell me something." Sakura turned to her teammate and smiled. "If we were to blackmail Kakashi-sensei would you really want to see what he looks like? What if he offered ramen?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. "Now that's a tough one."

Gai came to stand beside Kakashi, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You think she's ever going to forgive us?" He asked softly.

"I doubt it." Kakashi's voice was low and barely audible. "Anko is still looking for that boy, even if she can't do it publicly."

"Do you think we did the wrong thing?" Gai asked suddenly, his tone turning deadly serious. It was unlike him to be serious. He spent most of his time bragging about himself and his students.

"What? By taking the baby into the village?" Kakashi asked.

Gai nodded sadly. "Maybe he would have been better off staying with Anko."

The silver haired shinobi shook his head. "No. He's still watching her, stalking her. Can you image what kind of leverage he would have had had she kept the baby? Things are bad enough without adding a child to the mix."

Gai nodded again, this time in agreement. "He'll never let her go. Even if he was only using her." He whispered. "And yet...if he didn't feel something for her she'd be dead like so many of his pawns."

"Don't talk about that." Kakashi growled, narrowing his visible eye at the other man. "I have to find my students." He turned and walked away, not even bothering with goodbye. It was obvious Anko was not the only one touchy on the subject of the past. There was a dark cloud still hanging over all of them...


	5. Lessons Learned

Anko settled herself in the trees just above where Kakashi and Gai were instructing their students about their second visit to the Forest of Death. She'd didn't know what had made her agree to the hair brained plan but here she was, crouching beneath a branch waiting for the children to be let loose in the wooded area. Doing this on her own would prove difficult but she knew very well how to handle herself here. This was like her second home. She'd been a part of these trees for more than twelve years.

Watching Kakashi with his students almost made her heart ache, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the thoughts she was trying to keep at bay or the fact that she'd never had a team of her own to train. The Hokage had once told her it wasn't good for her to have them, not after what her former sensei had done to her. If she lost herself, even for a moment, it could be dangerous for everyone.  
Damn that Orochimaru anyway. He'd ruined her life. From the moment he'd stepped before her and offered her power beyond her wildest dreams her life had been cursed and by more than the mark he'd left her with. Sometimes it made her angry to think of these things. Most of the time, however, she lived with a deep soul shattering guilt. She'd burned Kakashi, her son, and so many others. It was a nightmare just thinking about it.

Gingerly she rubbed at the spot on her neck wondering why today of all days it was throbbing. It served her right however. She shouldn't have even thought her former sensei's name.

Her eyes rested on the boy that Orochimaru was after and saw that he too was rubbing his curse mark. Though his had the seal it wouldn't keep it from calling to him, reminding him that the man of snakes and darkness had power that would be well worth obtaining. And yet...to obtain Orochimaru's power meant giving up your soul. It was a lesson she'd learned the hard way.

"All ready?" Kakashi's whispering voice tore her from her thoughts and shockingly enough Anko was glad for it. She turned to the silver haired man and offered him a mischievous smile. "The last time you asked that I wasn't..." She paused there as he raised an eyebrow. "You're sure about this? What happens if I lose my thoughts? What if..." The leaves rustled as Kakashi crossed the branch to her and placed his fingers over her lips.

"There is no what if. You wouldn't hurt those children. Not even he can make you do that. You wouldn't be an instructor if you did. You can control him, Anko." He whispered to her.

"What would you know?" Anko snapped bitterly. "It's been twelve years. You know nothing about me anymore."

"You think you are so easy to forget?" The silver haired shinobi asked her gently. "Maybe it is you who knows nothing yourself."

His words only made Anko angry. She used her jutsu hand signs and disappeared.

"_It's a game of lambs and monsters." Orochimaru's voice was silk wrapped steel as he stalked closer to her. "I'll be the monster and all you little lambs must hide from me..."_

_Twelve year old Anko had snorted, edgy and ready to prove herself to her sensei. Lambs and monsters held little interest for her. But something in the eyes of the other nine children. They were terrified. Each of them backing further away from their sensei. _

"_If and when I find you...I shall mark you as my own. Then you will be monsters like me." The snake eyed man was looking at Anko now as the young girl cracked her knuckles. "Won't that be fun?" _

_There was something about the way he said it that didn't make it sound fun at all. Though everything that involved her becoming a stronger and better ninja was fine with her. She planned to be something special someday. _

_When their sensei realized that none of the children were going to answer he clapped his hands. "Begone!" He shouted. "The lot of you. And I hope you can hide better than you fight! You're pitiful!" _

_Anko was the first to disappear, leaping into the trees and keeping to them as she searched for the perfect place to stay hidden. _

_She wouldn't find one, however. Eventually Orochimaru would find her. He would leave her with his mark, the Cursed Seal of Heaven, and then he would leave her to die. _

"Lambs and Monsters." Anko whispered as she caught up with Gai's female student Tenten. The young woman was already pausing, looking around her in worry. She'd been cut off from her teamates, Neji and Lee though she wasn't sure how that could have possibly happened.

Anko knew. And it was about to cost this young woman her chance at winning the contest.


	6. Past and Present

_The past..._

"I don't know what he'll do if he catches you here." Anko's breath was a fevered whisper, barely passing her lips. The young man that lay beside her in the cool grass was breathing heavily as well though he was smiling broadly at her.

"He won't catch me. I'm not afraid of your sensei." He told her proudly. "And you shouldn't be either. A genin should never be afraid of their sensei."

"You're such a know it all." Anko snorted, sitting up and picking at the blades of grass that clung to her slender sweat covered calves. "I wish you'd stop that."

The young man laughed as he too sat up though he was kissing at her bare shoulders trying to pull her back down into the grass with him. "You know you love me."

"I do not!" Anko protested, though she was giggling. "Kakashi stop that. We can't do that again. He'll hear us for certain."

"Not if you keep your mouth shut." The sliver haired shinobi whispered, his lips grazing her throat.

"Me?" Anko said rather loudly. "Me?! You're the one moaning my name! How dare you..." Silence flooded the wooded area as Kakashi pressed his lips to hers.

"Maybe that is true. Perhaps we both need to exercise silence." He chuckled, his warm breath playing over her lips.

"You need to go." Anko whispered back, her heart physically aching at the thought. "It's almost dawn. He'll come looking for me."

"Come back with me." He pleaded, his voice even and soft. "The Hokage will forgive you. He'll find someone to finish your training. You'll be a leaf village ninja in no time. Please, Anko. You don't see what he's doing to you."

"Orochimaru isn't doing anything to me." Anko insisted, suddenly angry. She began to yank on her clothing, muttering all the while. "You're the one who is blind. My sensei is teaching me things that you will never learn! He's not blind to the things that you and the Hokage are. Nothing is good anymore, Kakashi!" She paused, hoping into her pants. "Everything is gray and every one is out for their own gain. When you realize that it will be too late for me to save you!"

"Anko, wait!" the silver haired young man jumped to his feet to follow her, doing his best to pull on his pants at the same time. "Wait! He's draining you! Don't you see it? Your chakra is weak. You're weak..."

That was enough. Anko stopped where she was and turned back, her slap resounding in the forest and echoing back to them. "I am not weak!" She shouted, no longer caring if she were heard. "I will never be weak! Get out of here, Kakashi! Don't come back!"

"Anko..." He didn't get the time to beg. He reached out for her but she was already gone, diving into the thickest trees and leaping across the branches. "Damn it."

0 _The present..._

Anko came striding through the trees, carrying TenTen along with her. The young woman was unconscious having been unable to handle herself against Anko's clone jutsu as well as her blue snake jutsu.

Gai nearly choked as she set the girl at his feet. "Anko one, power of youth zero." She said proudly, receiving a chuckle from Kakashi and a glare from the man she was speaking to.

"Let's see if your..." He paused looking from the silver haired man to the nearly widely grinning woman, knowing he was better off keeping his silence. "Let's see if you're so lucky against Neji and Rock Lee." He growled, covering his tracks well.

"They're just little boys." Anko announced. "What harm can they be? Rock Lee doesn't even have chakra. I'm not worried about him."

"You should be." Gai said proudly.

"You know I would swear you have a dark secret of your own. Could it be that I'm not the only one with a son about to become a ninja?" Anko asked him. She'd hit a nerve and she knew it but by the way his jaw twitched she'd guess that she was right. "We could make a side bet. Power of youth verses power of..."

"Enough. No bets." Kakashi said, wanting Anko to get back to the woods before the children began to come back looking for trouble. The dark haired woman nodded and returned to the trees already deciding she was going to take the other female out. If they stayed in they were likely to cause problems later. It was easier this way.

"She has good days..." Gai whispered, picking up TenTen and sighing. "Do you suppose she knows who the father is? I mean after what Orochimaru did to her...can we really be sure."

"Well...it's one of two men." Kakashi said thoughtfully, watching the dark shadows in the forest of death.


End file.
